At 1-4, the Heat are on a 16-66 pace, one win better than the 15-67 team that ended with Erik Spoelstra taking over the bench. This franchise has climbed out by winning on the road and beating the teams in front of it, and Indiana is in front of it tonight.
Pace Is Unacceptable
Five games in, Miami is 1-4, 14th in the East, and projects to 16-66. That is one win better than the 2007-08 team, which went a league-worst 15-67 and ended with Pat Riley handing the bench to Spoelstra. Spoelstra has coached this program at that floor and through four straight Finals, so he knows the difference. The defense is the problem. A 116.8 defensive rating and a minus-8.4 net rating are bottom-of-the-league numbers, and they come on a $206.9 million payroll.
Indiana Again
On this date in 2009, Miami won 96-83 in Indiana. Tonight the Pacers come in at 2-3, tenth in the East and one game ahead of the Heat. Tyrese Haliburton, who averaged 21.8 points and 9.5 assists, is out. So are T.J. McConnell, Ben Sheppard and Johnny Furphy, and Andrew Nembhard and Aaron Nesmith are both uncertain with neck and hamstring issues. Pascal Siakam, at 24.0 points, is the scorer Miami has to stop. A win pulls the Heat level with Indiana. Losing to this lineup would have no excuse.
Road Warriors Standard
The 1996-97 team went 32-9 on the road and earned the name Road Warriors. After tonight this group heads west for the Lakers, Clippers, Warriors and Kings, four games in seven days. The 129-117 win in Atlanta showed this roster can win on the road once. The trip will ask for it four more times, and a team that projects to 16-66 cannot afford to come home 0-4.
Stars Have To Defend
In 2004 Riley traded for Shaquille O'Neal to pair with Dwyane Wade, and the Heat won 59. In 2010 LeBron James and Chris Bosh joined Wade, and the 2012-13 team that beat Boston 120-107 on this date finished 66-16. Miami's pairing now is Giannis Antetokounmpo at $58.5 million, averaging 27.6 points and 11.2 rebounds, and Adebayo at $49.8 million. The great Heat stars defended at both ends of the floor. This pairing has not done that yet.
Bottom Line
The 2008 collapse led to a reset. This roster has no reset available. The 2027 and 2028 firsts are tied to Charlotte, the payroll sits above the tax line, and the stars are already here. The only way up is to win, and that starts with a short-handed Pacers team tonight.
When did the Heat last have a season this bad?
The 2007-08 Heat went 15-67, the worst record in the league. This team's 1-4 start projects to 16-66.
Is Tyrese Haliburton playing against the Heat tonight?
No. Haliburton is out with a left hamstring injury, and T.J. McConnell is also out for Indiana.
